Expressivism Grade Level adaptations

Here are some ideas for making the expressivism integrated lesson work for the requirements of grades 1-3.

1.  Expressivism & Social Change
Teacher: Laura Davis
Grade: 3
Time Needed: 45 minutes
Objective: Students will understand how evoking emotions in others can lead to social awareness.
State Standards:
Grade 3 Social Studies
Standard 2
Students will understand cultural factors that shape a community.
Objective 1
a) Identify the elements of culture (e.g. language, religion, customs, artistic expression, and systems of exchange.
Grade 3 Language Arts
Standard 8
Students write daily to communicate effectively for a variety of purposes and audiences.
Objective 6
Write in different forms and genres.
f) Share writing with others incorporating relevant illustrations, photos, charts, diagrams, and/or graphs to add meaning
Grade 3 Visual arts
Standard 1
The student will explore and refine the application of media, techniques, and artistic processes.
Objective 3
Handle art materials in a safe and responsible manner.
Grade 3 Social Studies
Standard 3
Describe the rights and responsibilities inherent in being a contributing member of a community.
List the responsibilities community members have to one another.
Identify why these responsibilities are important for a functioning community.
Grade 3 Visual Arts
Standard 1
The student will explore and refine the application of media, techniques, and artistic processes.
Practice skills for beginning drawings, use simplified forms, paint with complementary color schemes, create the appearance of depth, portray cast shadows as falling opposite their source of light, and explore the design possibilities of a 3-D object.
http://www.uen.org/core/
K-12 Language Arts
Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

http://www.educationworld.com/standards/




2. Elisa Johnson
Expressivism and Healthy Relationships
Grade: 2
Time Needed: 45 minutes
Objective: Students will explore how feelings can affect relationships.

State Standards:
Grade 2 Social Studies
Standard 2: Self in relation to families and community
Grade 2 Language Arts
Standard 8 (Writing): Write daily to communicate effectively
Objective 1: Organize information and ideas.
Grade 2 Visual arts
Standard 2: Students will develop a sense of self in relation to families and community.
Objective 3: Express relationships in a variety of ways.
http://www.uen.org/core/

National Standards:
Grade 2 Social Studies
Individual Development and Identity
Learners will understand concepts such as growth, change, learning, self, family, and groups
Grade 2 Visual Arts:
5-8.1: Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes
Students select media, techniques, and processes; analyze what makes them effective or not effective in communicating ideas; and reflect upon the effectiveness of their choices
Students intentionally take advantage of the qualities and characteristics of art media, techniques, and processes to enhance communication of their experiences and ideas
K-12 Language Arts
Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).
http://www.educationworld.com/standards/


Materials Needed:
PowerPoint
Examples of art from Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, Munch, and Gauguin

Introduction

• Show PowerPoint presentation of different art pieces. Have the students write down one emotion they feel while looking at the piece.
• Discuss in groups: What did you feel while looking at this art? What made you feel like that? Colors, staging, lighting, etc.

• Do the different colors and lightning make you feel differently?
  
  GROUP DISCUSSION: (adapted from http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/846.html
  1. Review what emotions/feelings are. Write examples on board.
  2. Explain that we all have emotions/feelings, which affect the way we act, and may affect others as well.
  3. Talk about how some of our emotions/feelings lead to actions (maintaining self-control), which have positive consequences while other emotions/feelings lead to actions (losing self-control), which have negative consequences.
  4. Explore how we can prevent to lose control and hurt other people’s feelings.

*READ BOOK: TODAY I FEEL SILLY by Jamie Lee Curtis
Discussion, instructional conversation taking place as we read.




3. Courtney Hollan
Objective: Help children develop a desire to improve the environment while working on fine motor skills coordination.
State Standards:
Grade 2-3 Social Studies
Standard 2: Self in relation to families and community
Materials: Camera, Exacto knives, paper, crayons, pencils
Process:
1.      Open the discussion by inviting children to share what their favorite toy is. After most of the children have shared, introduce something that you care about (toy, appliance, etc.) Talk about how it’s importance makes you want to take really good care of it. Ask questions like: what would happen to your favorite toy if you let your little brother/sister stomp on it or hit it with a bat? What happens if you let it get really dirty? Etc. Make the point that we need to take extra good care of things that are important in our life in order for them to last longer.
2.      Compare the previous answers to a new discussion about the environment. What happens if we don’t take care of it? How can we take care of it? Introduce certain terms like “littering” and “recycling” so children can understand them. Make the same point, that we need to take care of the environment in order for it to last longer and stay pretty.
Share these pictures:

Discussion: How do these pictures make you feel? What do you think of when seeing these pictures? What do you think the photographer is trying to say? How can we send a message through our own art?


 4.  Expressivism & Social Change 
Teacher: Kaylee Jensen
Grade: 1
Time Needed: 45 minutes
Objective: Students will understand their many different emotions and how expressing them is an important aspect.
State Standards:
Grade 1 Language Arts
Standard 1
Objective 2 
Develop language through viewing media and presenting.
Identify specific purpose(s) for viewing media (i.e., identify main idea and details, gain information, distinguish between fiction/nonfiction).

1. Identify specific purpose(s) for listening (e.g., to gain information, to be entertained). 
2. Listen and demonstrate understanding by responding appropriately (e.g., follow multiple-step directions, restate, clarify, question). 
3. Speak clearly and audibly with expression in communicating ideas. 
4. Speak in complete sentences.

Objective 2 
Develop language through viewing media and presenting.
Identify specific purpose(s) for viewing media (i.e., identify main idea and details, gain information, distinguish between fiction/nonfiction).
1. Identify specific purpose(s) for viewing media (i.e., identify main idea and details, gain information, distinguish between fiction/nonfiction).
2. Use a variety of formats (e.g., show and tell, drama, sharing of books, personal writings, choral readings, informational reports, retelling experiences and stories in sequence) in presenting with various forms of media.
State Standards:
Grade 1 Visual Arts
Standard 1

Objective 3 
Develop and use skills to communicate ideas, information, and feelings.
1. Recognize and express feelings in a variety of ways (e.g., draw, paint, tell stories, dance, sing).
2. Express how colors, values, and sizes have been controlled in artworks to create mood, tell stories, or celebrate events.
Standard 2 
Students will develop a sense of self in relation to families and community.
Objective 1
Describe behaviors that influence relationships with family and friends.
1. Explain how family members support each other.
2. Describe tasks at home and school.
3. Explain how families change over time.
4. Recognize that choices have consequences which affect self, peers, and family.
5. Describe behaviors that initiate and maintain friendships.

Expressionism a movement of German artists that began in the first decade of the 20th century that, like the Fauves who influenced them,exaggerated color and form for the purpose of expressing emotion Expressionist painters use color to evoke feeling Example - a person's skin may be the color blue to give the feeling of sadness Shapes and forms are drawn with emphasis on feeling at the expense of recording the subjects actual appearance Example- a person may be drawn with really big hands reaching up to express wonderment

The hands are way too big and she's green. What does this mean to you? I think she looks elated. Also, the green skin is alluding to nature. And, not only that, she could represent a person of any race. Since, nobody is really green - she could be anybody.

Here are some other expressionist painters:    Bob Thompson (1937-1966) was an African American painter expressionist painter. Here is a great example of color and form used to convey feeling. Homage to Nina Simone has people of many colors: red, blue, yellow, pink. See more work by Thompson. Look at Portrait of Emy by Karl Schmidt-Rottluff. Here we can see typical aspects of Expressionism. The colors are heightened. In the skin tone, they are unnatural. The forms are exaggerated. Read what it says under the image. This is a portrait of his bride. Obviously, he loves her. He is not trying to make her ugly. Click here for more work by Karl Schmidt-Rottluff (German, 1884-1976).

Procedure:
Materials needed:
-different colors of paints that represent warm colors and cool colors.
-paint brushes
-paint paper
-paper towels/plastic cups with water
-aprons
Lesson focus:
1. Open up lesson talking about the color wheel.  Explain how certain colors are mixed together to form new colors. Talk to students about why some colors are called "warm" while others are called "cool". Have a discussion about why this may be.  Talk to students about how certain colors make us feel. Discuss certain emotions we feel when we see certain colors.
2. Discuss the many different emotions we can feel and what we can do to correctly express them.
3. Show students some of the artwork by Bob Thompson and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff.  Ask students how their work makes them feel.  Ask them why they think they used certain colors and what they must have been feeling or trying to express.
4. Show students how to properly mix colors without ruining all the paint and creating a big mess. Ask them to think of an extreme emotion they have felt at one time in their life (anger, love, happiness, sadness, etc.) Ask children to paint a picture of that experience, but instead of using the natural colors (ex: peach skin) use colors to help describe that emotion they were feeling (ex: sadness: blue skin).
5. After they have finished painting their pictures, have them write a response telling:
1. What they drew
2. What emotion it represents
3. What colors they used to represent that certain emotion
4. How that certain experience/emotion made them feel.